It completed a perfect set of results for the league's title chasers this round, with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United also winning across Monday and Tuesday.

Virgil van Dijk gave Southampton the perfect start by heading in a free kick with barely a minute gone. But the hosts faced an uphill task after winger Nathan Redmond was given a straight red card in the 56th minute, with the score at 2-1, for bringing down Alli in the box to concede the penalty that Kane missed.

Kane blazed the spot kick over the crossbar, with his standing foot moving a piece of turf and, as a consequence, the ball.

It didn't stop Pochettino making a successful return to the team he managed for 16 months over 2013-14.